52 lists - week 18: ways i am energized

52 lists - week 17: things i hate that most people like

words of wisdom wednesday

"vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. a person may be proud without being vain. pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."

jane austen

pride & prejudice

(it's the 200th anniversary of pride & prejudice this year!)

if i were to identify myself through jane austen characters, i would be some crazy mash-up of

elizabeth bennet (judgmental, opinionated, passionate, mischievous)   

fitzwilliam darcy (prideful, intimidating, loyal, protective)

and elinor dashwood (dependable, private in unhappiness, voice of reason, keeper of secrets)

gratitude

- a comfortable place to live - a job - the opportunity to get an education
- loving parents who raised us in an environment of safety and support and encouragement
- the gospel and my testimony - chocolate - good friends - family
- opportunities to serve in the church - good literature - good examples - inspirational words
- talents - confidence - sleeping in - mental and emotional stability - music
- health - a near bionic immune system - crossword puzzles
- creativity - seasons of gratitude and celebration
- skype - curiosity - a car that works - fond memories - travel
- coke - grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup
- musicals - fall colored leaves - quirky boys - scrabble
- bananagrams - stationary - blow dryers - down comforters
red lipstick - gift exchanges - nature

my 33rd

today i turn 33. a nice, symmetrical number. instead of lamenting over getting older, i've decided to make a list of 33 things i still want to do/accomplish in my life. (in no particular order)

1. read les miserables
2. travel extensively in great britain
3. see shakespeare performed in the globe theatre
4. learn to use photoshop
5. read gone with the wind
6. run a marathon
7. visit new york city
8. participate in the tomatina
9. read a charles dickens novel (not a christmas carol)
10. see a show on broadway
11. take ballroom dancing lessons
12. visit the holy land
13. go to disneyworld
14. graduate from college
15. get married
16. read the bible, cover to cover
17. go on a cruise
18. travel in italy
19. live in a foreign country
20. learn to speak another language fluently
21. take in the fall foliage on the east coast
22. learn to use illustrator
23. visit australia
24. take tap dancing/clogging lessons
25. go to the calgary stampede
26. take voice lessons
27. retake latin and learn it really, really well. well enough to read latin texts.
28. visit moracco
29. read jesus the christ (talmage)
30. visit boston
31. become a proficient gardener
32. take a tropical vacation. not hawaii, someplace like bora bora or fiji.
33. sail on a clipper style ship

outside the actors studio

i love the ten questions james lipton asks at the end of every interview on inside the actors studio. and since it's pretty clear i'm never going to interviewed by him, i decided i'd answer them here.

what is your favorite word? belligerent

what is your least favorite word? bad grammar in general. anyways; nothing vs. anything; aks (as in, let me aks you a question); we was; i seen; etc.

what turns you on? masculinity (devoid of machoism)

what turns you off? neediness

what sound do you love? the wind blowing

what sound do you hate? anything with the intention of waking me up

what is your favorite curse word? bullocks

what profession other than yours would you like to attempt? graphic design. stationary and stuff.

what profession would you not like to do? butcher

if heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? let me explain

things i love

this plaster set hung on my grandmothers bedroom wall. they were a handmade and painted gift from her sister on the occasion of her marriage to my grandfather. when my grandma passed away a few years ago i knew immediately i wanted them. my mother thinks they're ridiculous, but every time i see them i think of the nights i slept in my grandmothers bed, and i remember the way she always slept upside down in her bed (feet at the headboard), and the tiffany blue rotary phone that sat on the far bedside table for so many years. they hang on my bedroom wall.

stila smudge pots are essential to my make-up routine. if they ever stop making it i might die. this is how i accomplish my black cat eye. (i use a very small flat brush i bought at sephora). the best thing about the smudge pot line is that it will not smear or run, so i don't have to worry about raccoon eye in the middle of the day.

this oil painting was a gift from my dad. it's a picture of people strolling on the champs-elysees with the arc de triomphe in the background. my love of the french language and desire to travel around france have confounded the rest of my family since high school. my dad always teases me about how snooty the french are and why would i want to go there? i remember i was at my first sarah brightman concert when he called to tell me he had bought it and was mailing it to me (i was away at school). i had it custom framed shortly thereafter and it's hung on my wall ever since. it's the first piece of art i've ever owned.

i had a couple of requests for pictures of the shoes i described in my 10 things post.
here they are:

could you die? i love shoes. you might not guess it because i spend about 90% of my time in converse or my trusty brown leather motorcycle boots, but i do love me a flashy pair of heels. these ones are pretty comfortable as far as heels go. i dream of one day dropping an obscene amount of money on a lavish pair of shoes. perhaps some with conspicuous red soles . . .
for now, though, i'll stick with what i can find at ross and marshalls and nordstrom rack.

sister in the spotlight

i got an email from a lady in my ward asking if i would be interested in being the spotlight sister in next months newsletter. i'm not sure how the whole thing works because i've never actually been to relief society in my ward. i went straight from the singles ward to the primary. but i filled out the questionnaire and decided to share it with ya'll.

where were you born and raised?

born: slc, utah; raised: fresno, ca

have you lived anywhere else? if not from fresno, how did you come to fresno?

i lived in rexburg, id and provo, ut for school. i have also lived in irvine, ca and grantsville, ut.

if married, how did you meet? how long did you date before getting married?

not married.

what qualities do you appreciate most about your husband?

n/a

who does your family include?

mom, dad, 2 sisters, 4 brothers, 1 niece, 1 nephew, 1 brother-in-law, 1 dog, 1 cat and 1 neal

who is your best friend? what do you love about her/him?

probably my friend craig. we've been friends since we were about 15. he's very organized and reliable but we have the most outrageous fun together. we went to greece this past summer and had such an amazing time. we're similar in how we balance silly and serious in our lives.

education, occupation, special skills, talents or accomplishments?

i'm studying history at fresno state right now. i work in a law office. i'm a good organizer; i'm creative; i'm really good at remaining calm in an emergency; i'm good at reading aloud; i'm a good teacher; i'm an accidental wedding florist; i love to decorate for parties and events; i have a blog; i make really good paper snowflakes.

do you have hobbies or special interests? what do you like to do with your free time?

i spend most of my free time reading. but i also love camping, movies, theatre, dancing, games (especially scrabble), and playing dr. mario.

have you or do you want to travel? where?

i've been to chile, mexico, canada (niagara falls), greece and all over the east coast. i love travel. my wander-list is unending. currently at the top are great britain, france, italy, india and egypt.

what have been the biggest events in your life?

goodness, it's hard to say!
1. going through the temple gave me a groundedness in the gospel that i didn't expect. i feel like ever since then the gospel has been so much more internal and integral and solid in my soul than it ever was before.
2. any time i travel outside the united states reminds me how superfluously blessed we are. i come back with a renewed appreciation and reverence for our founding fathers and the spirit that guided them.

what church missions or callings have you enjoyed?

i loved being a teacher in both gospel doctrine and relief society. i was the relief society president twice in the singles ward which i can't really say i loved but it taught me a lot and i was able to really see the way the Lord can take over and you can become his instrument. right now i'm the primary music director and i don't now why there isn't a waiting list for this calling. it's the most fun i've ever had in a calling.

what do you love about the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints?

i love the peace and direction and confidence it brings into my life. i have an end-goal. i have maps. i have a plan. people always talk about external influences and their effects, and i feel like the more centered i become in the gospel the less they effect me. the world become less and less of an influence and more and more like an interesting experiment i'm watching. instead of being influenced i become the influence.

what are you looking forward to?

everything!

do you have a favorite scripture, motto or saying?

i really love it when the scriptures talk about working out your own salvation. i know we need the atonement and we cannot gain salvation without our Saviors help, but i'm determined to do EVERYTHING that i can do on my own. i want to be part of the solution, part of the forward movement. people always talk about how great agency is, and it is. but I really love accountability. i'm in such an amazing place in my life. i'm happier than i've ever been and i know it's because i have sought after it. i heeded what the prophets have said and applied it. i've worked hard for it. and i continue to work for it every day. owning that gives me confidence in my ability to do whatever is asked of me. on the other hand, when i mess up or find things that aren't in accordance with the gospel in my life, i know i have the ability to change that. i can apply the atonement and work hard and make my weak things strong. accountability brings me so much confidence and inspires me to work harder.

is there anything else you would like your sisters to know about you?

people tell me a lot that i'm really intimidating, but i don't mean to be! please, come talk to me! i'm nice! i promise!

fill in the blank friday

as presented by lauren.

1. the first thing i do in the morning is: try and find the snooze button without opening my eyes (this happens several times); try to remember what day it is; delay getting out of bed until the last possible second.

2. every night before bed i: pee (tmi?); set my alarm; pray.

3. my favorite thing to do when i'm having a bad day is: listen to music that matches my mood (helps the nasty go away faster); indulge in something (probably very sweet and sugar filled); watch a movie (escapism).

4. something that makes me cringe is: hairy men; the filing of nails; that video on youtube of "the biggest zit ever".

5. social situations: can be great fun, or excessively annoying, depending on my mood.

6. i like to collect: sand; quotes; books.

7. weekends are for: sleeping in; costco (and other errands); action movies on saturday afternoon broadcast television; worship.

a little list-a-roo

i've seen this little list going around on other people's blogs, and nobody tagged me, so i didn't do it, but secretly i wished someone would tag me because they were super interested in how i would respond. luckily, meghan tagged "anyone who want's to," which i'm taking to mean "ashlee pretty please respond because you are oh so interesting and i want to see all of your answers," and, well, who am i to deny her? here goes:

4 shows i like to watch:
1. the big bang theory
2. the office
3. criminal minds
4. supernatural

4 things i am passionate about:
1. gaining knowledge and wisdom
2. family
3. doing the right thing
4. gaining exultation

4 words or phrases i say often:
1. bollocks
2. i'm sleepy
3. that's not my problem
4. seriously!? (said with as much sarcasm as one can possibly muster)

4 things i have learned from the past:
1. i seriously lucked out in the parental department
2. most of the things you get crazy about really don't matter in the long run
3. it's really not about me at all

4. mortality is a beautiful experience, even the bad stuff. we'll look back on it all someday with so much wonder and affection. i just want to soak up every last drop while i'm here.

4 places i would love to go:
1. great britain
2. europe
3. greece and the islands
4. to bed

4 things i did yesterday:
1. blew my nose, a lot
2. went to gym
3. studied latin
4. watched battlestar galactica

4 things i am looking forward to:
1. this weekend away at the beach
2. annual easter beach camping trip in march
3. england/ireland trip this summer
4. sleeping in this weekend

4 things i love about winter:
1. fires in fireplaces
2. snuggling beneath layers of blankets in bed
3. herbal tea/hot chocolate
4. rain

4 things on my wish list:
1. briefcase from saddleback leather company.

2. love bracelet from cartier. i love the idea that someone puts it on you and then keeps the screwdriver/key.

3. a concealed weapon permit. i don't know why . . . i'm just super protective of my right to bear arms and concealed weapon permits are super hard to get here.

4. a husband (is there an outlet somewhere?)

4 people i tag:
1. keri
2. mindy lou
3. sharon
4. anyone else who wants to.

je deteste . . .

*solicitors.

*talking on the phone. i've never been a phone talker. and it doesn't help that i have to answer the phone all day at work. by the time i get home the last thing in the world i want is to have a phone attached to my ear with someone yammering on on the other end. if we need to communicate information, that's fine, call me, spit it out, and let me go. we can have our long drawn out conversations face to face. there are, of course, exceptions. like, if you live far away and we don't get to see each other much. and maybe one or two others, but for the most part . . . really, i hate talking on the phone.

*compulsive huggers. i just don't see the need to hug every time you see someone. of course there are the appropriate hugs in sorrow or celebration or after an extended absence. (note: one week is not an extended absence) but other than that i'm just not a gratuitously affectionate person. but that's just the thing. affection is meant to signify intimacy or partiality or some level of closeness. and i save my affection for those who have earned it. the list is relatively short. if i've never initiated a hug (or such) with you, you're probably not on the list. and if you continue to demand hugs from me, you're never going to make it on the list. it just makes me more and more loath to meet with you.

*when people say "anyways." there is no "s" on the end. and you sound like an idiot.

* when people use "nothing" instead of "anything." eg: "i didn't do nothing." you also sound like an idiot. and if you can't figure out why that's wrong, go back to elementary school.

* people who smoke and chronically complain about health problems. you're poisoning yourself everyday. poison! everyday! of course you have problems. i don't feel sorry for you, and i'm sick of listening to you.

* passive-aggressive people. the thing is, we all get mad. and i can deal with you being mad at me. but just tell me, and we'll deal with it, and we can move on. you being mad but pretending you're not isn't helping anything.

100 books bbc thinks you should read

if you know me at all you know i love to read. so when i saw this list on a book blog i follow i decided to filch it. apparently the bbc believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 great books here... i decided to see how i stack up. i've crossed out all the book's i've read. hopefully i’ll have to update this list periodically . . .

1. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (i may have actually read this in school, but i'm not positive i actually finished it, so i'm not counting it)

6 The Bible (haven't actually read the thing from cover to cover)

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman (i've read the first two, just need to finish the last one)

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (began, will never finish)

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma-Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hossein

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville (attempted - no desire to complete)

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce (attempted - no desire to complete)

76 The Inferno – Dante

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces- John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo 

*********************************************

total = 35

65 questions

it's been awhile since i posted something other than my weekly top ten. when my friends and i get together, one of our favorite things to do is to take turns asking each other questions. it's all about the conversation and getting to know each other better. so when i saw this quiz on my friend natalie's blog, i decided to steal it.

1. first thing you wash in the shower? (also stealing natalie's answer) my hair. i like to let the conditioner sit in for as long as possible.

2. what color is your favorite hoodie? red with a black design.

3. would you kiss the last person you kissed again? absolutely NOT

4. do you plan outfits? sometimes. it depends on the momentousness of the occasions . . .

5. how are you feeling RIGHT now? a little tired.

6. whats the closest thing to you that's red?my toenails. my mom says they're the exact color of a candy apple.

7. tell me about the last dream you remember having? i don't want to think about it. it was disturbing.

8. did you meet anybody new today? no.

9. what are you craving right now? i don't know that i'm craving anything. but i am looking forward with longing to indian food for my birthday dinner . . . .

10. do you floss? not as regularly as i should.

11. what comes to mind when I say cabbage? russians.

12. are you emotional? hmmmmm. no. i feel a lot more emotional than i ever display, but i'm not ruled by my emotions.

13. have you ever counted to 1,000? not that i can recall.

14. do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? usually i lick it. but if i'm eating a fudge bar or something, i bite into it a bit.

15. do you like your hair? yes, most of the time.

16. do you like yourself? yes. probably too much.

17. would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? sure, why not?

18. what are you listening to right now? a cat meowing.

19. were your parents strict? yes. at least on me. the plight of the oldest sibling.

20. would you go sky diving? it's on my list of things to do before i die.

21. do you like cottage cheese? yes.

22. have you met a celebrity? yes. a couple actually.

23. do you rent movies often? yes. hooray for netflix!

24. is there anything sparkly in the room you're in right now? my watch. does that count?

25. how many countries have you visited? three. canada, mexico, and chile.

26. have you made a prank phone call? yes. a very, very long time ago.

27. ever been on a train? yes. a couple of times.

28. brown or white eggs? white.

29. do you have a cell-phone? yes.

30. do you use chap stick? yes, constantly.

31. do you own a gun? personally, i don't know. i inherited one when my grandfather died, but a bunch of our guns were stolen, so i don't know if mine is still around. but my family owns several . . . so, yes.

32. can you use chop sticks? yes, grasshopper.

33. who are you going to be with tonight? probably mom, mike, mazur and marc.

34. are you too forgiving? no. quite the opposite, actually.

35. ever been in love? yes.

36. what are your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? they're all probably working.

37. ever have cream puffs? mmmmmmmmm, yummy. (that's a yes, by the way)

38. last time you cried? either when i bore my testimony or i watched the breast cancer dance on so you think you can dance.

39. what was the last question you asked? i asked regina "did you laugh at him?" when she told me her teach mispronounced her name in class today.

40. favorite time of the year? fall

41. do you have any tattoos? no. i have fought the temptation for a long time, it would be a shame to give in now.

42. are you sarcastic? yes.

43. have you ever seen the butterfly effect? no.

44. ever walked into a wall? yes.

45. favorite color(s)? orange, black and red.

46. have you ever slapped someone? yes.

47. is your hair curly? yes.

48. what was the last CD you bought? hmmmm, i bought feist's album on itunes . . . does that count?

49. do looks matter? yes, but they're enhanced or completely diminished by personality.

50. could you ever forgive a cheater? probably not.

51. is your phone bill sky high? no.

52 do you like your life right now? yes!

53. do you sleep with the T.V. on? no! it bothers me.

54. can you handle the truth? i hope so. it's the whole point of living. if you can't handle truth, then you're just wasting space and time.

55. do you have good vision? according to my visit a month ago i have perfect vision. but the nice man gave me reading glasses because my eyes get tired because i read a lot.

56. do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? yes.

57. how often do you talk on the phone? not very, if i can help it. i answer the phone all day at work, which is basically torture for me, so the last thing i want to do on my down time is have the phone stuck to my head.

58. the last person you held hands with? afton. only it wasn't so much holding hands as her holding on to my finger while she stood up. if we're talking holding hands with someone who actually registers the phrase "holding hands," then drew.

59. what are you wearing? jeans and a white shirt.

60.what is your favorite animal? elephant

61. where was your profile picture taken? in my car.

62. can you hula hoop? not any more.

63. do you have a job? yes.

64. what was the most recent thing you bought? manicure/pedicure last night. lovely.

65. have you ever crawled through a window? oh yes, many a time.

Lost in a good book . . .

last year i read an article about how 40% of americans read one book or less per year . . . and i was horrified!! how can this be? anyway, i've tried to amp up my reading habit ever since. so, here is the list of books i read in 2008. i'm pretty sure i got them all. i didn't start keeping the list till about half way through the year, so i might have missed one or two . . . oh well.

***************************

***************************

1. Stargirl - Jerry Spinelli
2. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
3. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde
4. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
5. Milkweed - Jerry Spinelli
6. Inkheart - Cornilia Funke
7. What I Was - Meg Rosoff
8. Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen
9. The Host - Stephanie Meyer
10. A Grief Observed - C. S. Lewis
11. Atonement - Ian McEwan
12. The Frozen Deep - Wilkie Collins
13. The Uses of Adversity - Carlfred Broderick
14. Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
15. Mansfield Park - Jane Austen
16. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle
17. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer
18. In The Woods - Tanya French
19. Vampirates - Justin Somper
20. How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff
21. The Mysteries of Udolpho - Ann Radcliffe
22. Bread and Roses - Bruce Watson
23. All the Shah's Men - Stephen Kinzer

Have you ever?

Copy the list and highlight the ones (mine are red) that are true about you!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a Praying Mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21.Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Talked your way out of a ticket

the other half of the list . . .

51. i have to match when i go to bed.
52. i'm pretty good at floral arranging. i've done wedding bouquets for 5 or 6 people. i love it.
53. one of my secret talents is making paper snowflakes.
54. i love to dance.
55. my favorite flowers are lily's.
56. i keep magazines forever. it's really hard for me to throw them away.
58. i really like pirates. i think they're super cool. and for the record, it was my favorite ride at disneyland long before they ever made the movies (which i also love).
59. if I had to pick one book as my favorite, it would be "little women" by louisa may alcott.
60. i am very religious.
61. i've always wanted my nose pierced. i doubt i ever will, but the desire is still there . . .
62. i think idiosyncracies are the best things about a person
63. one of my secret talents is reading out loud.
64. i don't get nervous about talking in front of big groups of people.
65. i like poetry. my favorite poem is "variations on the word sleep" by margaret atwood.
66. i hate washing my hair.
67. i hate the dentist.
68. i love to wear hats.
69. i really love scary movies, but i can't go in those haunted houses at halloween. i get so scared i cry. it's pretty funny.
70. i wish i could paint.
71. hairy men gross me out. seriously. i'm gaging just thinking about it.
72. my mom and i get really excited every year about those super cheesy made-for-tv christmas movies. we watch a LOT of them.
73. i LOVE the rain. i should probably move to washington or something.
74. i'm really loyal.
75. i'm really protective.
76. i like black nail polish.
77. i almost never tie my shoes.
78. technology kind of creeps me out.
79. i wish i were ambidextrous.
80. there are songs that getting me insanely hyper every time i hear them. some of the songs are smooth criminal, oh l'amour, you can't stop the beat, and dancing with myself.
81. i have fallen asleep in the bathtub . . . more than once . . .
82. i've hiked mt. whitney.
83. sometimes i snore.
84. when people tell me they "need to talk to me" i get this sick panicky feeling because i always assume that i've done something wrong and i'm in trouble. i have no idea why . . .
85. i love scarves.
86. i have contact lenses in about 5 different colors that i wear sometimes. it's fun.
87. people are intimidated by me when they first meet me. i have no idea why. i don't even try.
88. i LOVE it when boys kiss your hand. it's beyond adorable.
89. my dad calls me "claybasket." he got it from the michener novel "centennial". it's the name of one of the indian women in the book. apparently i looked like a little indian baby when i was born (my mom is part indian). NOBODY else calls me that.
90. i have fallen off a run-away horse.
91. i've had stitches in my eyelid.
92. i have personal space issues. i hate it when people read over my shoulder or stand really close to me all the time or lean in really close when they talk to me. some people i don't mind, but most people . . . i need my 3 feet!
93. i'm really good at glaring. my death looks are quite menacing . . . or so I'm told.
94. i believe that fun is an attitude, not an activity.
95. i love to play games . . . board games, card games . . . but not mind games. that's lame.
96. i love doing problem solving exercises like crossword puzzles, sudoku, puzzles, etc.
97. i love going to the movies.
98. i love slow dancing.
99. i can't stand needy people.
100. formality makes me really uncomfortable.

half of a very long list . . .

so, I haven't posted anything in a very long while . . . . but I actually have been working on something for a long time. i saw on a blog one time, someone made a list of 100 things about themselves. so I thought I'd give it a try . . . . turns out making a list of 100 things about oneself is QUITE the daunting task. so i'm going to post numbers 1-50 right now, and post the other 50 when i come up with them. enjoy!

1. My spelling abilities are digressing.
2. My eyes are my favorite physical attribute. I'm actually quite vain about them.
3. I can't actually describe the color of my eyes . . .
4. I don't have a spleen.
5. If I were given the option of getting rid of everyone who abused drugs, prescription or illegal, I think I would do it, which is really unmerciful, but I'm tired of dealing with it.
6. I think it's okay if you just don't like someone or you don't get along as long as you're not malicious about it.
7. One of the most liberating things I've learned how to say (and mean) is "It's not my problem/responsibility."
8. I think people who are "spiritual but not religious" are cowards who don't want to deal with accountability.
9. I LOVE musicals.
10. I LOVE to read. I think it's an important habit to acquire. If I find out a person doesn't read extra-curricularly, I have a hard time thinking of them as intelligent.
11. I believe that we, as a society, make too many excuses for people.
12. I have a 4 foot pet iguana named Walter.
13. I think fish tanks are really relaxing.
14. I almost always cry at the movies.
15. I find most girls annoying and I feel sorry for boys because they have to deal with us . . .
16. I thought I'd be married by now.
17. I believe that if you say your sorry, and then you do the same thing again, your apology is invalid. The only way to really apologize is to quit doing whatever it is.
18. I do believe that relationships can be wrecked beyond repair. Those are the breaks. You should have thought about it beforehand.
19. I dig vampires.
20. My favorite breakfast is eggs benedict.
21. As a matter of fact, I CAN'T live without chocolate.
22. I wish I could have a pet elephant (they're my favorite animal).
23. I secretly liked the Mmmmm Bop song by Hanson.
24. Sometimes I wish life really was a musical. Who doesn't want to randomly break into song and dance? This should be normal . . . .
25. I'm fascinated by witchcraft and witches.
26. I collect quotes.
27. I can't stand it when people aren't organized.
28. I HATE Relief Society voice.
29. I like to shoot guns and bow & arrows.
30. I want to learn to sword fight.
31. I'm terrified of needles and sharks.
32. I don't think I could live without music.
33. I love the mountains.
34. My favorite color is Orange.
35. Sometimes when I hurt peoples feelings, I don't really feel bad about it . . .
36. I have been on a date with someone who has the same first name as me.
37. I get mean when I'm really hungry.
38. I like to plan parties and decorate for them.
39. Sometimes I can get really bossy.
40. I end up being in charge of things a lot. Some people think it's because I'm a control freak or I like to be in charge, but it's actually just because I just want things to get done. I am more than happy to let other people be in charge of stuff if they'll actually get the thing done.
41. I like to study wars. I think it's fascinating.
42. I don't like spiders. I can deal with them being around if they're normal sized, but someone brought over a tarantula the other day . . . not cool . . . . no me gusta!
43. I randomly slip into foreign languages (French and Spanish). Hey, it makes sense to me. That's all that matters.
44. When I'm reading books written by foreign authors, I hear the whole thing in accents in my head.
45. I collect sand from all over the world.
46. Apparently, I'm gothic.
47. I believe Chuck Taylor's go with every outfit.
48. I become an emotional wreck when I'm really tired; pretty much anything makes me cry . .
49. Since the bulk of my reading and entertainment taste is of British origin, I randomly slip into British accents, which results in very curious looks from all.
50. I think we need more occasions to dress up in costumes ever year.